Dr. Michael White and the Original Liberty Jazz Band lead a jazz funeral around the Newcomb Quad on Monday (May 9) as a kickoff for the First Folio! The Book that Gave Us Shakespeare exhibition. The book will be on display in the Newcomb Art Museum on the uptown campus through May 31. This year marks the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare's death. As part of year long festivities, SLA was invited to Stratford-upon-Avon, England in April to lead the annual celebration and procession also with a traditional New Orleans jazz funeral. Photo provided by Cheryl Gerber.
Donor Spotlight - "A Rose by Any Other Name"
Tulane parent and bibliophile Stuart Rose sponsored the participation of the School of Liberal Arts in the 400th anniversary celebration of Shakespeare's death in Stratford-upon-Avon. Rose is a New Orleans native and an Ohio resident who has one of the most prominent private rare book collections in the world. To accompany the First Folio exhibition on Tulane's campus, Rose has generously loaned the university his personal copy of a 1611 Hamlet quarto. The department of English Chair, Michael Kuczynski, recently interviewed Rose inquiring about his love of books and his connection with Shakespeare.
Archives and Outreach
New Orleans Lake Area High School students visit Tulane's campus on January 19, 2016 to learn about the university's Rare Books Collection which includes a leaf of the Gutenberg Bible (ca. 1456).classic theatre.
Stratford-upon-Avon
SLA was invited to participate in the 400th anniversary celebration of Shakespeare's death in the town of his birth. As part of the procession, we hosted a jazz funeral in his honor.
English Speaking Union
Department of English Chair Michael Kuczynski presents a lecture entitled 'Hamlet and Our Problems' to the New Orleans branch of the English Speaking Union on February 15, 2016.
Odes to Shakespeare and New Orleans
From Louisiana to England, two unique poets recently showcased their artistry with poems dedicated to the intersection of Shakespeare and New Orleans. Spoken word poet and artist Gian Smith performed his interpretation on May 9th at the opening of the First Folio exhibit at Tulane. On April 23rd, Rev. Dr. Paul Edmondson of The Shakespeare Birthplace Trust delivered his heartfelt recitation in Stratford-upon-Avon at the SLA closing banquet.
A Poem for New Orleans in the Key of Hamlet called "That Is the Question"
By Gian Smith
Shakespeare in New Orleans
for Clare Moncrief and Chaney Tullos of the New Orleans Shakespeare Festival at Tulane
By Paul Edmondson
New Orleans Shakespeare Festival at Tulane Announces 2016 Season
Message from the Dean The Power of Shakespeare
Today, we live in a world where words quickly disappear into the ether. Messages can be no longer than 140 characters; conversations take place as tweets; ideas are communicated with emojis. And yet, even as technology seems to flatten and dull our voices, 400 years after Shakespeare's death, his words speak to us and our deepest emotions.
News from the Field: Michael Kuczynski Everybody's Shakespeare
People get very proprietary about Shakespeare. Actors insist that his works only make sense in performance. Scholars, conversely, say that you cannot understand the plays without studying the variants between their multiple Renaissance editions–quartos and the famous First Folio–and surveying the Bard's wide range of literary sources.
What is The New Orleans Shakespeare Festival at Tulane? Clare Moncrief
Founded in 1994, the Festival brings professional, classical theatre and unrivaled educational programming to Louisiana and the Gulf South. In addition to our summer season of plays, attended by some 3,000 theatregoers, our educational programs bring Shakespeare to life for thousands of middle and high school students from across south Louisiana and Mississippi.
Tulane Students Jazz It Up
Tulane Students Dylan Koester (SLA '18) and Joe Foster (SPHTM '18 ) brought their musical talents to England performing with the Wendell Brunious Brass Band.
Shakespeare Jazz Funeral in Stratford-upon-Avon
Upcoming First Folio Events
Thru May 31 - First Folio exhibit at Newcomb Art Museum
May 16 - "Sonnets in the Gallery" Poetry Reading with Peter Cooley
May 18 - "Shakespeare on the Stages and Streets of New Orleans" Lecture by Oliver Hennessey
May 20, 21, 22 - "Shakespeare and the Alchemy of Gender" Lisa Wolpe performs her one-person show
102 Newcomb Hall • New Orleans, LA 70118
liberalarts.tulane.edu